If you want to survive (not thrive, mind you… just survive) in school administration, this is something you have to learn.

Don’t make decisions so incredibly stupid that the producer of the 10 o’clock news (11 o’clock for our friends on the East Coast) can get monster ratings from making you the lead story.

People seem to love the “school messed up” angle.

You don’t want to be the principal or superintendent who is being interviewed (always sitting at your desk with the camera looking DOWN upon you… not a good look) when you can only say “No comment” or “this issue involves personnel, so the School District cannot address it at this time”.

Stop doing stupid things. Use some common sense. Ask yourself “If I have to go on the news tonight and explain this decision, how will it look?”

Exhibit A: La. Student, Principal Clash Over Colts Jersey

KOCO: A Louisiana high school student says he was sent home for wearing an Indianapolis Colts jersey Friday — the day the principal encouraged students to wear New Orleans Saints black and gold as the teams get ready to face off in the Super Bowl.

"If they tell other students to support their team, why can’t I support mine?" Brandon Frost, 17, told The Associated Press. The senior at Maurepas High School moved three years ago from Indianapolis to the rural town 30 miles from Baton Rouge.

A Livingston Parish School Board member said Frost wasn’t sent home, but was told he couldn’t wear the blue jersey at school. Keith Martin, whose district includes Maurepas, said the school uniform had been relaxed only for black and gold.

He said he planned to ask school system attorneys whether that violated Frost’s right to free speech, as the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana contends.

State ACLU director Marjorie Esman sent a letter to Principal Steven Vampran, asking him to wipe Frost’s record of any discipline stemming from the incident. Vampran declined to comment.

Martin said he had talked with both Vampran and Frost’s father, Larry Frost.

"I think we got things worked out," Martin said.

According to Martin, a friend of Brandon Frost’s had asked Vampran on Thursday whether Brandon could wear a Colts jersey, and had been told "no."

During a class on Thursday, Frost said, he talked about his plans to wear his jersey rather than Saints colors. He said the teacher warned him he’d get in trouble.

Larry Frost said he didn’t know about that when Brandon asked Thursday whether he could wear the jersey. He said he told his son to come home if he was hassled too much.

The Colts and Saints play Sunday in the Super Bowl, and emotions have run high in Louisiana as fans celebrate the first Super Bowl appearance for the beleaguered franchise.

Brandon Frost said Vampran called him out of his first class Friday and told him, "I don’t recall saying you could wear a Colts jersey on Black-and-Gold Day."

He said he told the principal that his father had given him permission to go home if it was a problem.

"He started to get angry with me," Frost said. "I thought I remember him saying, ‘If you like Indiana so much, why don’t you go back?’"

Vampran has acknowledged that he should not have said that, Martin said. He said no one sent Frost home — but no one kept him from leaving rather than changing shirts.

Larry Frost said he called the ACLU rather than the school because he was too angry.

Plus, this allows your new bride to sleep in as you are being a big boy and making your own breakfast.

Toss the tarts into the toaster and head off.

Head off where?

The gas station to buy a newspaper of course.

This was the perfect plan.

Until the toaster jammed.

And started a fire.

But don’t be alarmed. The entire apartment didn’t burn down.

Just the kitchen (can you say kiss the deposit goodbye).

Level 4 – Excuses Stupid.

This level is for those special people who continue to confuse an excuse with a reason.

I don’t have my homework because the dog ate it is an excuse (not Buddy… he only eats shoes).

I don’t have my homework because my mom and dad were taken to the hospital last night after they were involved in an accident is a reason.

While subtle, there is a difference.

Level 3 – I’m in a Meeting Stupid.

Conducting a School Board Meeting using your laptop as a communication device is a good thing. Leaving Yahoo Instant Messenger on so your evil spawn daughter can share her thoughts on what happened that day in 3rd grade is a bad thing.

I’m thankful her language was appropriate that particular night (because trust me… it can get pretty salty).

Someone Twittered I should be using Microsoft Live Writer. Evidently, it is a tool to help post your blogs.

What???

This has been available since… well, since 300 blogs ago!!!!

Is there a reason people have been keeping this secret from me?

Or am I just stupid?

Note from bride, however, no longer new. Luckily we owned 1 kitchen pot. And I mean only 1. It was filled with water in the kitchen sink from the previous night’s meal. I was able to use that pot to extinguish the burning cabinet quickly enough to prevent “much” damage. Therefore, we did receive our deposit back and believe me, we needed it. Do you know how much a first year teacher made in 1995?

If you are a runner, you know that in this case Plan B stands for bathroom.

This was a problem.

So I considered my options and quickly realized I didn’t have time to put together a committee.

I was on my own. A school administrator’s worst nightmare (after all, there is safety in numbers).

I’m no math teacher but when I run 3 miles away from the house, it is roughly 3 miles back to the house.

There is an educational lesson here.

Administrators need the ability to only plan, but the skill to quickly come up with Plans B, C, and D when their first plan fails.

And it almost always does.

This happens with scheduling, curriculum, athletics, AYP, and just about everything else that is part of running a school.

In my case Plan A (exercise) was a big success. Plan B was a little trickier, but I made it home.

Barely.

Plan C was the nap. After all of my work, what could possibly go wrong with me getting a little shut eye after school on Friday.

I rushed home, changed out of my school armor (shirt and tie), turned the TV channel to golf, and snuggled in with my best buddy (Buddy the Dog… and yes we were spooning… don’t judge us… because you don’t understand our love…).

I immediately went to that place where I’m almost asleep but still awake.

While I didn’t graduate from Harvard Law School, I do know that is a curse word to almost every 5 year old. So Mr. President, if you dare take on the ever so controversial act of addressing school children in the future, please clean up your language.

If you don’t understand the significance of this event, you’re not an educator. Or your just a damn fool (sorry for the language… but I’m considering blogging a little
bluer to expand my audience to over 3 dozen people).

To make matters worse the police officer was 12 years old. I’m relatively sure this time last year he was playing dodge ball in PE, shoving his buddies while waiting in
line at the water fountain, and being awkward around girls at the 7th grade dance.

Now he is a policeman.

When did they start hiring officers who are younger than me?

As a kid, I distinctly remember ALL police officers being old. Now they look like teenagers.

How did this happen?

When did this happen?

Authority figures are supposed to be at least 40 years old, grey or balding, and grumpy.

They are supposed to be old.

They are supposed to look like me.

Wait a second…

The moral of this story is I’m old. And don’t drive 53 in a 30 mph zone. And be nice to squirrely junior high boys because they will grow up and become police officers… and eventually they will pull you over for speeding… but they just might let you off with a warning if you’ve been nice to them…

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While this site operates with the knowledge and awareness of the Tuscola CUSD #301 School Board, Tuscola, Illinois, the content and opinions posted here may or may not represent their views personally or collectively, nor does it attempt to represent the official viewpoint of Tuscola CUSD #301 administrators or employees.